Gaming apps? There’s a house for that

Interns work on iOS compatible games at the MakeGamesWithUs house in Palo Alto. Rohan Smith / The Chronicle

Hidden at the end of a long driveway in Palo Alto, the five-bedroom house looks like it could be the set of a reality show, or maybe a strangely well-behaved frat house.

Young men and teenage boys lounge in patio chairs in front, sit at long tables that fill the living room and family room, and sprawl in comfy chairs in the TV room.

But no one here is gossiping or plotting, and there’s no keg in sight.

In fact, for a house with more than 30 guys in it, ranging in age from 13 to 25, the headquarters of MakeGamesWithUs is bizarrely silent. Wearing earbuds and leaning over their laptop screens, each of these interns is creating an original game for the iPhone.

It’s the company’s annual intern program, where would-be developers get trained on how to create apps, get help publishing and promoting them, and split any proceeds with MakeGames WithUs. This year, the opportunity drew 80 young people from as far away as Mexico.